GOP primary to decide recorder candidate
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Maintaining the public’s records with professionalism and integrity, while displaying a dedication to customer services are qualities both candidates for Highland County recorder say are essential in being successful in the office.
Republicans Richard Counter and Chad McConnaughey will face one another in the March 6 primary election.
Counter was appointed to the office in May by the Republican Central Committee after former recorder Ike Hodson left the office to accept a position as Highland County Clerk of Courts. McConnaughey was elected to the Lynchburg-Clay Board of Education in the November general election, a post he intends to keep even if he is elected to the county office.
Both candidates say that their years of working in the private sector provide them with experience that benefits the office.
RICHARD COUNTER
• Dick Counter graduated from McClain High School in 1966. He served in Vietnam with the U.S. Army. He has been married to his wife, Lynn, for 38 years, and the couple has two children, Delinda and Scott. Counter worked in the contract trucking business for 17 years, and then for 20 years became the owner and operator of several office furniture stores, until he sold the business.
He has been involved in public service since 1976 when he was elected as a member of the Greenfield City Council. He has served in various offices since then, including as mayor of Greenfield, and current post as chairman of the Highland County Republican Central Committee.
“I enjoy public services,” Counter said. “There’s nothing more satisfying than being a servant to the public, making sure that on a daily basis you assist and help people get through the public issues.”
The basic duties of the recorder’s office, Counter said are, “keeping a record of the real estate, we keep military service records, land contracts, mortgages, deeds, and real estate financial records. We actually keep a record of the real estate historically. And we record all the documents today and to the future.”
Counter said an essential qualification for the office is excellent customer service.
“You need to be able to deal with the public,” Counter said. “The requirements are you need to be a registered voter. But most importantly, you have to have a want to serve the public. If you don’t have that, if all you’re wanting is a job, you’re not really going to be satisfied here.”
Counter has nothing but praise for former recorder Ike Hodson, whose years of work in the office and organization made the transition for a new recorder an easy experience.
“Ike is a wonderful organizer,” Counter said. “He made this transition into this office for me extremely easy.”
Voters need to look to his experience, in the office, and in business when they choose their next recorder, he said.
“I have years of experience in public service,” Counter said. “I know how to help the public through their questions and answers, not only about the recorder’s office, but about government itself. I know the office, I know the work, and I would certainly hope the voting public would allow me to continue for another four years. It has been an honor for me to serve the public for as many years as I have, and I’m asking the voters of Highland County to allow me to continue to be of service.”
CHAD MCCONNAUGHEY
• Chad McConnaughey is a 1994 graduate of Lynchburg-Clay High School, and a cum laude graduate of Southern State Community College in 1996. He married his wife, Becky, in 1996 and the couple has three children.
He worked at Jerry Haag Motors until 1995 when he was hired by McCarty Associates, LLC in Hillsboro, where he has worked for the past 17 years.
McConnaughey said that it’s his experience working at McCarty’s that has prompted him to seek the office of county recorder.
“The recorder is basically the person who safeguards the public records, and the transfer of property through deeds,” McConnaughey said. “My understanding of the office is greatly aided by my experience as a land surveyor. (Working at McCarty) I have dealt with the recorder’s office for 17 years. While it’s not a very visible position, it’s a very important position.”
Serving the people who come into the office would be one of his first priorities if elected recorder, McConnaughey said. “I don’t view myself as a politician, even though it’s a political office. I view myself as a person who is qualified to do the job. I enjoy talking to people and dealing with the public on a day-to-day basis.
“I think the recorder needs to be someone who has technical skills, and can work within the constraints of the county budget. I have a great relationship with the staff, because I have worked with the office closely for 17 years. My experience working as treasurer of my church, Sugar Tree Ridge Church of Christ, has helped me on the organizational side. I am not always going to make the best decision, but it’s going to be the best decision I think is possible at the time.”
Sometimes when patrons of the recorder’s office venture in, they are not always experienced, McConnaughey said, and are looking for someone to help guide them through what they need.
“They need a friendly face,” he said. “A lot of times they don’t know what it is that they need, they’ve just been told to go there. I can assist them in a quick and easy manner. Today is about time. People don’t have a lot of time. They are going to need quick service, and I feel I can give that to the public. We’ve also turned into an Internet world. The county, right now, has many current documents online, but a lot of older documents are not. I’d like to go backwards in time and scan in some of the older land records that exist. That would be one of my goals, if elected.”
[[In-content Ad]]McConnaughey said that he has established a good relationship with the recorders’ offices in surrounding counties, and wants to maintain that. He also praised the years of work that Hodson put in at the office. McConnaughey said he would like to maintain that standard of excellence, and would hopefully have the same kind of longevity in the office.
“Other than trying to put more old records online, there aren’t really a lot of changes that I would make,” McConnaughey said. “Former recorder Ike Hodson did an outstanding job, and there’s not a lot I would change. I want to make sure we’re taking care of the public, and that’s my number one goal.”
McConnaughey said that he feels that new faces with new ideas in county offices can benefit the people of the county.
“I want people to take into account that I’m not an established politician. We need new people in the county offices who have new ideas. With some of the problems we face, maybe we need to think outside the box,” McConnaughey said.
“We have some great leaders and they are faced with a lot of challenges. Taking on new things is something I do very easily, and I enjoy a challenge.
“Deciding to run for recorder isn’t a decision that I take lightly,” McConnaughey said. “I’ve been thinking about it for three years, and I interviewed for the appointment to the position in May. I feel like I have a lot to give. I put a lot of importance in my faith and my family, and my intentions are to always be a person of integrity.”
Republicans Richard Counter and Chad McConnaughey will face one another in the March 6 primary election.
Counter was appointed to the office in May by the Republican Central Committee after former recorder Ike Hodson left the office to accept a position as Highland County Clerk of Courts. McConnaughey was elected to the Lynchburg-Clay Board of Education in the November general election, a post he intends to keep even if he is elected to the county office.
Both candidates say that their years of working in the private sector provide them with experience that benefits the office.
RICHARD COUNTER
• Dick Counter graduated from McClain High School in 1966. He served in Vietnam with the U.S. Army. He has been married to his wife, Lynn, for 38 years, and the couple has two children, Delinda and Scott. Counter worked in the contract trucking business for 17 years, and then for 20 years became the owner and operator of several office furniture stores, until he sold the business.
He has been involved in public service since 1976 when he was elected as a member of the Greenfield City Council. He has served in various offices since then, including as mayor of Greenfield, and current post as chairman of the Highland County Republican Central Committee.
“I enjoy public services,” Counter said. “There’s nothing more satisfying than being a servant to the public, making sure that on a daily basis you assist and help people get through the public issues.”
The basic duties of the recorder’s office, Counter said are, “keeping a record of the real estate, we keep military service records, land contracts, mortgages, deeds, and real estate financial records. We actually keep a record of the real estate historically. And we record all the documents today and to the future.”
Counter said an essential qualification for the office is excellent customer service.
“You need to be able to deal with the public,” Counter said. “The requirements are you need to be a registered voter. But most importantly, you have to have a want to serve the public. If you don’t have that, if all you’re wanting is a job, you’re not really going to be satisfied here.”
Counter has nothing but praise for former recorder Ike Hodson, whose years of work in the office and organization made the transition for a new recorder an easy experience.
“Ike is a wonderful organizer,” Counter said. “He made this transition into this office for me extremely easy.”
Voters need to look to his experience, in the office, and in business when they choose their next recorder, he said.
“I have years of experience in public service,” Counter said. “I know how to help the public through their questions and answers, not only about the recorder’s office, but about government itself. I know the office, I know the work, and I would certainly hope the voting public would allow me to continue for another four years. It has been an honor for me to serve the public for as many years as I have, and I’m asking the voters of Highland County to allow me to continue to be of service.”
CHAD MCCONNAUGHEY
• Chad McConnaughey is a 1994 graduate of Lynchburg-Clay High School, and a cum laude graduate of Southern State Community College in 1996. He married his wife, Becky, in 1996 and the couple has three children.
He worked at Jerry Haag Motors until 1995 when he was hired by McCarty Associates, LLC in Hillsboro, where he has worked for the past 17 years.
McConnaughey said that it’s his experience working at McCarty’s that has prompted him to seek the office of county recorder.
“The recorder is basically the person who safeguards the public records, and the transfer of property through deeds,” McConnaughey said. “My understanding of the office is greatly aided by my experience as a land surveyor. (Working at McCarty) I have dealt with the recorder’s office for 17 years. While it’s not a very visible position, it’s a very important position.”
Serving the people who come into the office would be one of his first priorities if elected recorder, McConnaughey said. “I don’t view myself as a politician, even though it’s a political office. I view myself as a person who is qualified to do the job. I enjoy talking to people and dealing with the public on a day-to-day basis.
“I think the recorder needs to be someone who has technical skills, and can work within the constraints of the county budget. I have a great relationship with the staff, because I have worked with the office closely for 17 years. My experience working as treasurer of my church, Sugar Tree Ridge Church of Christ, has helped me on the organizational side. I am not always going to make the best decision, but it’s going to be the best decision I think is possible at the time.”
Sometimes when patrons of the recorder’s office venture in, they are not always experienced, McConnaughey said, and are looking for someone to help guide them through what they need.
“They need a friendly face,” he said. “A lot of times they don’t know what it is that they need, they’ve just been told to go there. I can assist them in a quick and easy manner. Today is about time. People don’t have a lot of time. They are going to need quick service, and I feel I can give that to the public. We’ve also turned into an Internet world. The county, right now, has many current documents online, but a lot of older documents are not. I’d like to go backwards in time and scan in some of the older land records that exist. That would be one of my goals, if elected.”
[[In-content Ad]]McConnaughey said that he has established a good relationship with the recorders’ offices in surrounding counties, and wants to maintain that. He also praised the years of work that Hodson put in at the office. McConnaughey said he would like to maintain that standard of excellence, and would hopefully have the same kind of longevity in the office.
“Other than trying to put more old records online, there aren’t really a lot of changes that I would make,” McConnaughey said. “Former recorder Ike Hodson did an outstanding job, and there’s not a lot I would change. I want to make sure we’re taking care of the public, and that’s my number one goal.”
McConnaughey said that he feels that new faces with new ideas in county offices can benefit the people of the county.
“I want people to take into account that I’m not an established politician. We need new people in the county offices who have new ideas. With some of the problems we face, maybe we need to think outside the box,” McConnaughey said.
“We have some great leaders and they are faced with a lot of challenges. Taking on new things is something I do very easily, and I enjoy a challenge.
“Deciding to run for recorder isn’t a decision that I take lightly,” McConnaughey said. “I’ve been thinking about it for three years, and I interviewed for the appointment to the position in May. I feel like I have a lot to give. I put a lot of importance in my faith and my family, and my intentions are to always be a person of integrity.”